Spool can with pull-tab tear strip reclosure cover



June 15, 1965 J. HENCHERT 3,139,214

SPOOL CAN WITH PULL-TAB TEAR STRIP RECLOSURE COVER Filed 001;. l, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 MINIMUM 8 INVENTOR JOHN HENHEET June 15, 1965 J. HENCHERT 3,189,214

' SPOOL CAN WITH PULL-TAB TEAR STRIP RECLOSURE COVER Filed Oct 1, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOHN HEucHEzT J. HENCHERT June 15, 1965 SPOOL CAN WITH PULL-TAB TEAR STRIP RECLOSURE COVER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. '1, i962 'IIIIII A INVENTOR JoHu HENCHEET June 15,1965 J, HENCHERT 314 SPOOL CAN WITH PULL-TAB TEAR STRIP RECLOSURE. COVER Filed Oct. 1. 1962 4 She e ts+S hfeet-4 INVENTOR I E111, JOHN HENcHEiz-r ATTORNEYS United States Patent ()fiice 3,189,214 Patented June 15,1965

3,189,214 SPOOL CAN WITH PULL-TAB TEAR STRIP RlilCLQSUlRE COVER John Henchert, Morton Grove, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York p Filed Oct. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 227,150 24 Claims. (Cl. 2Z054) The invention relates to metallic containers and provides a simple and economically manufactured container structure in which articles such as spools of film and the like may be packaged, the container having a cover pro vided with a pull-tab tear strip allowing ease of opening and subsequent reclosure. An object of the invention is to provide a container and coverstructure of the character stated including a tubular metal body, a metal closure secured on the open end of the body and having an integral metal tear strip, a portion of the tear strip depending along the peripheral side wallof the container forming the pull-tab.

Another object of the invention is to provide the cover and container with surfaces contoured for purposes of internesting a plurality of like containers in a manner wherein the cover of one container will telescopingly receive the bottom of an overlying container.

A further object of the invention includes the extension of the pull-tab below a bottom annular shoulder in the container body to provide ease of manipulation of the pull-tab tear strip and additionally aid in maintaining containers in an internested position.

Still another object of the invention is the formation of a reusable cover scored peripherally along the cover rim and tangentially therefrom to the pull-tab so as to form a continuous score line for more rapid and efiicient severance of the pull-tab tear strip from the reuseable cover.

Yet another object of the invention is the formation of the peripheral and tangential score lines along the cover rim for either clockwise or counterclockwise severance of the pull tab tear strip from the reuseable cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method for constructing the reuseable cover, including the pull-tab tear strip, from a sheet metal blank.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Inthe drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view illustrating a container and reuseable cover structure embodying the invention prior to the opening of the container, the pull-tab of the tear strip depending-below a bottom annular shoulder portion of the container.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 and illustratesthe pull-tab strip torn along the tangential score line and partially along the peripheral score line prior to total removal of the tear strip from the cover.

FIGURE 3 is a plan View of a sheet metal blank from which the counterclockwise opening covers of this invention are blanked and shows the steps incident to the manufacture of the cover, an intermediate portion of the blank being omitted.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom View of the scored cover blank upon completion of the final blanking step illustrated in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a rotated fragmentary plan View of the cover blank illustrating the tangential relationship between the peripheral score line of the cover and the extension of the score line to the pull-tab.

FIGURE 6 is an inverted fragmentary perspective View of one half of the completed cover and iilustrates the scored cover interior.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of one half of the cover and container prior to assembly.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 1 and shows the upper portion of the container with the cover applied thereon, the skirt of the cover being shown prior to crimping in phantom lines.

FIGURES 9 through 12 are fragmentary vertical sectional views similar to FIGURE 8 showing various modifications of the cover and container in accordance With this invention.

FIGURE 13 is an clevational view of containers, such as the container of FIGURE 1, in internested position.

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View taken along the line 14-1i of FIGURE 13 and shows more specifically the relationship of the internested containers and cover of FIGURE 13.

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to FIGURE 14 illustrating another form of container which utilizes an inwardiy extending vertical rib formation in the alignment of an article within the .container.

Referring more specifically to the container and pulltab tear strip cover structure of the invention disclosed in FIGURES 1, 2, 8 and 14, the improved container and pull-tab tear strip cover structure includes a container, generally referred to by the numeral 16, and a cover 17. The container 16 includes a body 18 of cylindrical tubular shape and an integral bottom 26. The bottom 26 of the container is provided with a downwardly depending annular bead 21 integrally joined to the container body 18 by a bottom annular recessed shoulder 22. The shoulder 22 defines an internal annular ledge 23 spaced substantially above an internal, horizontally planar central supporting surface 24 surrounded by the depending annular head 21. The peripheral wall portion uniting the annular shoulder and depending bead 22 and 21 respectively, forms a peripheral guiding and confining wall 25. As is best illustrated in FIGURE 14, a spool S of film or the like, illustrated in phantom lines, when inserted within the container 16 will be guided and confined upon the central supporting surface 24 by the peripheral wall 25..

The container body 18 is provided intermediate its ends with an inverted head 26 bounded by a lower annular shoulder 27 and an upper annular shoulder 28. A top peripheral Wall portion 33 joins the upper shoulder 28 to an inwardly and downwardly turned curl 31. While various modifications of the top peripheral wall 30 of the container are illustrated each is identical to the extent that the curl 31 is dimensioned to receive an annular bead of a cover. i

The cover 17 illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2, 8 and 14 includes a recessed central circular end portion 32 integrally joined to a cover head 33 by a peripheral wall portion 34. The recessed end portion 32 provides a supporting surface for the bottom end of an internestedcontainer. A sealing compound 29 is provided between the curl 31 and head 33. The bead 33 depends downwardly in abutting contact with the top peripheral wall 3% of the container in the form of a skirt 35. The skirt 35 i peripherally scored internally to form the score line 36 which divides the skirt into upper and lower skirt portions 37 and 38, respectively. The upper skirt portion 37 is a continuation of the cover head 33 and forms the rim of the reusable cover 17. The lower skirt portion 38 extends below the upper container shoulder 28, as is best illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURE 8, and is crimped to secure the cover 17 to the container 16.

It should be noted that the lower skirt portion 38 is part of a cover tear strip 46. The lower skirt portion 36 is extended radially outwardly at one portion along its periphery to form an intermediate portion 41 of the tear strip 49. A substantially circular pull-tab 42 is integrally joined to and depends downwardly from the intermediate portion 41. A lower portion 43 of the pulltab 52 depends below the bottom annular recessed shoulder 22 of the container body 18 to provide for ease of manipulation of the pull-tab. The intermediate portion 41 of the tear strip 42 is notched at 44 to provide an area of low resistance to tear. A tangential extension 4-5 of the peripheral score line 36 traverses the tear strip intermediate portion ll and terminates at the notch 44. Thus, the score lines 36 and 425 form a continuous line of severance between the upper skirt portion 37 and the pull-tab tear strip 46. The particular configuration of the score lines 36 and 45 may vary. -lowever, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 8, the cross-sectional configuration of the score line 36 includes side wall portions subtending an angle of substantially ninety degrees, the tangential extension being similarly scored.

With particular reference to FIGURE 14, the inter nesting relationship between the container and cover structure shown in FIGURE 1 and another such container 16 and cover 17 is illustrated. The downwardly depending annular bead 21 of the upper container body 18 internests with the recessed central circular end portion 32; of the lower container cover 17 because of the radial dimensioning of the downwardly depending annular head 21 and the peripheral cover wall portion 34, and the longitudinal dimensioning f the cover recess 32 and bead surface 25. That is, the height of the cover head is less than the depth of the downwardly depending annular bead 21 to preclude abutment or contact between the cover bead 33 and the bottom annular shoulder 22 of the container body 18, thereby assuring firm seating of the depending head 21 upon the recessed cover end portion 32.

FIGURE 13 illustrates a function of the pull-tab 4-2 when the container and cover structures of FIGURE 14 are internested. The lower portion 43 of the pull-tab 42 depends downwardly below the bottom annular shoulder 22 of the overlying container and terminates medially of the lower container cover skirt 35. The lower portion 43 of the pull-tab resiliently abuts the cover skirt to insure proper alignment of the internested container and cover structures and also maintains the container and cover structures in a yieldably locked condition.

In FIGURES 9 through 12, various modifications of a container and cover structure are illustrated.

With particular reference to FIGURE 9, a top peripheral wall of a container body 57 is extended a substantially greater distance above an upper annular shoulder 58 than the top peripheral wall 30 of FIGURE 8. By so extending the peripheral wall 56, diverse articles of varying heights may be accommodated in a container 56 of which the container body 57 is a part. In FIGURE 9 there is illustrated a modification of the score line 36, which score line is referred to by the numeral 51. The score line 51 includes side walls subtending an angle of substantially ninety degrees but is contoured at the apex of the side walls to form a fiat bottom 52.

In FIGURE 10, a top peripheral wall 66 of a container 66 is bent inwardly to form an upwardly inclined annular wall 63, the upper end of the inclined wall 63 being outwardly and downwardly rolled to provide an integral curl 61. The junction between the top peripheral wall 60 and the inclined wall 63 forms a tear shoulder 64 in longitudinal alignment with an internal peripheral score line 62 Of a cover skirt 65. By aligning the tear shoulder 64 with the score line 62, an accurate and efiicient removal of a lower skirt portion 68 from an upper skirt portion 67 is assured.

In FIGURE 11 there is illustrated a cover 77, including a head 73 and a skirt '75, secured to a container 76.

In this modification an end portion 72 of the cover 77 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed inwardly directed locking nibs 71 in a bead wall portion 7 thereof, only one locking nib 71 being illustrated.

The locking nibs 7i maintain the container and cover structure closed and perform the more important function of maintaining the cover 77 upon the container 76 until the tear-strip has been completely removed. Upon removal of the tear strip, the cover '77 is held on a curl 79 of the container 76 by the clamping action existing between the locking nibs 7i and an upper skirt portion 73 of the container. This clamping precludes inadvertent removal of the cover 77 from the container 76. Such construction is particularly desirable when the container of FIGURE 11 is used to hold spools of film since inadvertent removal of the cover 77 under daylight conditions would undesirably expose the film.

In FIGURE 12 there is shown a container 86 which has an outwardly and downwardly turned curl 81 reinforced by rolling the curl greater than 360 degrees. The container 86 includes a container body 88 Which is cylindrical throughout and the absence of shoulders or beads is apparent from an inspection of FIGURE 12. A cover 8'7 has a bead 83, skirt 85 and peripheral score line 82 similar to the covers of FIGURES 8 through 11. However, the cover 87 is secured to the container 86 by peripherally crimping a lower skirt portion 84 thereof directly beneath the lowermost portion of the reinforced curl 31. Additionally, the peripheral score line 82 is displaced above the curl axis to allow rapid removal of the cover 87 from the container In FIGURE 15 there is shown a container 96 having a body 93 including a bottom annular shoulder 92 integrally joined to a depending annular bead 91. The annular shoulder 92 forms an internal peripheral supporting ledge 94 in horizontal planar alignment with a central internal supporting surface 95. A plurality of inwardly directed vertically extending ribs 93, only one of which is illustrated, are circumferentially formed in the container body 98. By virtue of the vertically extending ribs 93, a spool S of film or the like deposited in the container is guided downwardly into the container to positively seat upon the peripheral supporting ledge 94 and the central supporting surface 95. The circumferential spacing of the vertically extending ribs 93 also precludes excessive movement or shifting of the packaged article internally of the container.

The method of constructing pull-tab tear strip covers in accordance with this invention will be apparent by reference to FIGURES 3 through 6 of the drawings. The covers are constructed for either a clockwise or counterclockwise removal of the tear strips.

FIGURE 3 shows a sheet metal blank 160 of suitable gauge from which covers, having the counterclockwise removable tear strips of this invention, are blanked. The direction of travel of the blank 106 through the press is indicated by the arrow 161. The broken line 162 illustrates the entire external configuration of the desired pull-tab tear strip cover.

The first step in forming the pull-tab tear strip cover consists in forming the pull-tab 1163 by blanking the sheet metal blank 1% to the contour of the pull-tab creating the opening 164. If desired, a circular aperture (not shown) may be formed centrally of the pull-tab 103 simultaneously with the pull-tab contour blanking. Upon advancement of the sheet metal blank to a second station, a circular score line 165 is formed. The circular score line 105 of the sheet metal blank 106 forms the peripheral score line of the completed cover illustrated in FIGURE 6. At a third station a tangential score line 166 is formed and, as is best illustrated in FIGURES 4 to 6, the tangential score line 106 forms an extension of the peripheral score line 165. At a fourth and last station the remaining unblanked portion of the cover is blanked to the configuration illustrated in FIG- URES 4 and 5, and simultaneously drawn to the shape of the pull-tab tear strip cover 107 illustrated in FIG- URE 6.

The relationship of the cover 107 (devoid of the pulltab 103 and score lines 165, 106, for clarity) to an open end container prior to assembly is illustrated in the exploded view of FIGURE 7. Any suitable article may be placed in the container 108 and the pull-tab tear strip cover secured to the container 108.

To open the cover and container structure illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, one need only grip the accessible lower portion 43 of the pull-tab 42 and outwardly turn the pull-tab 42 from the container body 18 to enable gripping of the entire pull-tab 42. The tear strip 40 is designed and constructed for counterclockwise removal of the tear strip 40 from the cover 17 as opposed to the construction of the cover 107. By pulling the pull-tab 42 in a counterclockwise direction, the low resistance to tear of the notch 44 allows initiation of the severance of the tear strip 40 along the tangential score line 45. Upon continued counterclockwise pull of the pull tab 42 severance of the tear strip along the peripheral score line 36 takes place, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 2. Continued counterclockwise pull of the pull-tab 42 allows complete removal of the tear strip 40 from the cover 17, removal of the cover and contents from the container, and subsequent reclosure of the container. 1 .While example disclosures of pull-tab tear strip cover assemblies and arrangements are shown herein, it is to be understood that changes in the disclosed structures and arrangements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: i

1. A container cover comprising an end and a skirt depending peripherally from the end, said skirt including a tear strip, said tear strip including a pulltab and an intermediate portion integrally joining the pull-tab to the tear strip, said intermediate portion including a notch providing an area of low resistance to tear, a peripheral score line formed on said skirt and an extension of said peripheral score line traversing said intermediate portion and terminating at said notch whereby a pull of the pull-tab initially severs said intermediate portion along the extension of the peripheral score line and continued pulling severs and separates the cover end from the peripheral skirt along the peripheral score line.

2. A container cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover is a single integral piece of metal.

3. A container cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover is a single integral piece of metal and the peripheral score line is formed internally of the depending skirt.

4. A container cover as set forth in claim 1 whereinv the peripheral score line extension is tangential to the peripheral score line to create a gradual line of severance between the peripheral score line and the score line extension.

5. A container cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein the depending skirt includes an upper portion and a lower portion separated by the said peripheral score line, said lower skirt portion forming a part of said tear strip and said upper portion upon removal of said tear strip forming a cover adapted for continued reuse.

6. A container cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover end is centrally downwardly recessed and provided with locking means adapted to preclude inadvertent removal of the cover from the container upon removal of the tear strip from the cover.

7. A container cover as set forth in claim 6 wherein the locking means are a plurality of locking nibs circumferentially spaced in the centrally downwardly recessed cover end. i

8. A container cover as set forth in claim 4 wherein the cross-sectional configuration of the peripheral score line and the tangential score line extension include side Walls subtending an angle of ninety degrees.

9. A container cover as set forth in claim 8 wherein the side walls are flattened at their apex.

10. The combination of a container and a pull-tab tear strip cover, said container including a bottom annular recessed shoulder and a portion of said pull-tab depending below the bottom annular recessed shoulder of said container thereby providing an easy means for manipulating and gripping the pull-tab.

11. A plurality of internested containers, each container including at one end a downwardly centrally recessed cover having a downwardly depending skirt including a pull-tab, each container being provided at the end opposite said one end with a recessed annular shoulder and a depending annular bead, each said pull tab depend- 1 ing downwardly below saidrecessed annular shoulder to lock each said container in its internested position thereby assuring vertical stabilization and preclude inadvertent removal of the internested containers relative to each other.

12. A container comprising a body and a bottom end, a recessed annular shoulder at said bottom end forming an internal annular ledge support surface, an annular de pending bead integral with said recessed annular shoulder providing an internal central support surface, said surfaces being in substantial horizontal planar alignment and a plu rality of inwardly directed vertically extending ribs in said body forming guide means to seat an inserted article upon both said internal annular support ledge and central support surfaces. i

13. A container and pull-tab tear strip cover combina tion comprising, a container, said container having a body including a top peripheral wall terminating in a curl, a cover on said container, said cover including a recessed central circular end portion and a bead integral with said end portion in registration with said container curl, a skirt depending from said cover head, said skirt having an internal peripheral score line, said peripheral score line dividing the skirt into upper and lower peripheral skirt portions whereby the lower skirt portion secures the cover to the container and the upper skirt portion. forms the cover rim upon severance of the lower skirt portion from the upper skirt portion to allow reclosure of the container said top peripheral wall of the container being inwardly inclined to form a tear shoulder and the peripheral score line of the cover being in alignment with said tear shoulder thereby forming a continuous peripheral bearing surface to more easily sever the upper and lower peripheral skirt portions.

14. A container and pull-tab tear strip cover combination as set forth in claim 13 wherein the peripheral score line is displaced longitudinaly above the container curl axis so as to create a shallow cover rim.

15. A container and pull-tab tear strip cover combination as set forth in claim 13 wherein the peripheral score line divides the upper and lower peripheral skirt portions substantially equally of the skirt axis whereby a deep cover rim is created.

16. A container and pull-tab tear strip cover combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein the recessed central end portion of the cover includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking nibs adapted upon removal of the lower skirt portion to clampingly retain the cover upon the container.

17. A container comprising a body and a bottom end, i

configuration of the pull-tab, circular scoring the cover to form a line of severance for the tear strip, angularly scoring the blank between said circular scoring and the contoured pull-tab, blanking the unblanked portion of the sheet metal blank to the configuration of the cover and tear strip, and drawing the blanked cover and integral pull-tab tear strip to the desired cover configuration.

19. The combination of a container and a one-piece pull-tab tear strip cover, said container including a recessed bottom end portion and a portion of said one-piece pull-tab depending below the bottom recessed end portion of said container thereby providing an easy means for gripping and manipulating the pull-tab.

20. The combination of a container and a one-piece cover, said container including a body, a cover secured to an end portion of said body, means defining a recessed portion in said body, and an integral terminal portion of said one-piece cover overlying said recessed portion thereby forming an access area between said terminal portion and said recessed portion for facilitating the gripping of said terminal portion and the manipulation thereof to remove the cover from the container.

21. The combination of a container and a one-piece cover, said container including a body having first and second end portions, a one-piece cover secured to said first end portion, said second end portion having a bottom wall, an annular recess adjacent said bottom wall and an integral terminal portion of said cover projecting beyond said annular recess.

22. The combination of a container and a one-piece cover as defined in claim 21 including a peripheral Weakening line in said cover for removing the terminal portion of the cover from a remaining portion of the cover.

23. The combination of a container and a one-piece cover as defined in claim 21 wherein the first end portion of the container includes a downwardly centrally recessed end and the annular recess is integrally joined at a depending annular bead whereby the container and substantially identical containers can be internestably locked to each other.

24. The combination of a container and a one-piece cover, said container including a body having first and second end portions, a -one-piece cover secured to said first end portion, said one-piece cover comprising an end and a skirt depending peripherally from the end, said skirt having a tear strip, said tear strip including an integral pull-tab and an intermediate portion integrally joining the pull-tab to the tear strip, a notch in said intermediate portion providing an area of low resistance to tear, a peripheral score line formed in said skirt, an extension of said score line traversing the intermediate portion and terminating at the notch, said second end portion being annularly recessed, and said pull-tab terminating below said annularly recessed portion.

Referenees Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,895,386 1/33 Aulbach 22053 1,952,487 3/34 Biifi 220-54 2,351,971 6/44 .lohnsen 22054 2,83 3,452 4/58 Drurnmond et a1 220-97 2,985,354 5/61 Aldington 2206O THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER COVER COMPRISING AN END AND A SKIRT DEPENDING PERIPHERALLY FROM THE END, SAID SKIRT INCLUDING A TEAR STRIP, SAID TEAR STRIP INCLUDING A PULL-TAB AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION INTEGRALLY JOINING THE PULL-TAB TO THE TEAR STRIP, SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION INCLUDING A NOTCH PROVIDING AN AREA OF LOW RESISTANCE TO TEAR, A PERIPHERAL SCORE LINE FORMED ON SAID SKIRT AND AN EXTENSION OF SAID PERIPHERAL SCORE LINE TRAVERSING SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND TERMINATING AT SAID NOTCH WHEREBY A PULL OF THE PULL-TAB INITIALLY SEVERS SAID INTERMEDIATE 